And they're all interdependent. To be able to create one type of factory, you have to do the research on one thing. That necessitates having produced the resources to do the research as it's expensive in resources.

First thing to do is to initiate a metal asteroid, which means you start mining it for resources. Then do research on metal mining and you'll start getting more metal off your planet. Once you do that, start researching crystal refineries. The main thing you need is to have a stable production base so that every tick (hour) you get resources you can use.

The cost of research goes up rapidly. Now, depending on what you decide to research, you have to have the prerequisites. Specialize in two or three research trees at first. And remember, you have to get ready for when you come out of protection, because can people will kill ya.